To the uninitiated, football appears to be a swirling mass of big-bodied young men flying about a field, trying to wrestle an odd-shaped ball from a bunch of other muscle-bound men. It is four-hours of yelling and screaming running about in frenzy of color and pageantry.

But there is one thing we can all agree upon about football, and that is that all the hoopla surrounding the game itself is a good excuse for a party. And every party, regardless of the setting, needs a good menu to keep the party going.

In some parts of the South the pre-game tailgating party takes on just as much importance as the game itself. In fact, a whole lot more people show up in the stadium parking lot for the pre- and post-party than could ever fit inside the stadium; it’s enough to at least be part of the scene.

On Thursday, as part of the Senior Bowl and AL.com’s "Girls of Fall" event, one of the region’s top tailgating (and eating) authorities will be on hand to offer some innovative ideas about how to host your own tailgate party.

Chef Pete Blohme, owner of the wildly successful Panini Pete’s Café in both downtown Fairhope and Mobile, will offer instruction in how to host the perfect game day party -- either at home or at the stadium.

The event will be 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center in downtown Mobile. Blohme’s segment is only one part of the forum, which is designed for women to learn more about the game. There will also be segments on the X’s and O’s of the game and the latest in gameday fashion for the upcoming season.

Admission costs $20, with all proceeds going to Senior Bowl charities. To register for "Girls of Fall," visit the Senior Bowl's website, call 251-438-2276 or visit the Senior Bowl headquarters at 151 Dauphin St. in Mobile.

For his part of the program, Blohme promises a fun, informative session that hopefully will provide attendees with a few easy hints for improving the football weekend experience. “It’s all about food, football, fun and getting together with friends,” Blohme said.

Blohme, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, said he will not only be talking about how to throw a fine football party, he’ll be cooking, too. “We will be preparing something special for the evening,” Blohme said.

His menu is still in the works, but right now he plans to cook up some hotdogs topped with a “Bama beer cheese and bacon,” along with some pork sliders and a side dish that really sounds intriguing.

“We will be cooking a chargrilled cole slaw; it is a fun variation on typical cole slaw that is delicious,” Blohme said. And of course, samples of some of these tasty treats will be offered up to the audience.

Throughout the evening he will be taking questions from the audience in what he hopes will be a totally relaxed, interactive evening of fun.

Planning a tailgate or football-watching soiree is much like planning any other party, Blohme said. You first need to come up with a theme, which may seem simple since football and support of your favorite teams seems like a natural for such an event.

But Blohme recommends taking that simple notion a step further. He suggests incorporating food and beverage offerings to suit not only the home team, but try to use the visitors for inspiration, as well.

“If you’re playing a team from Louisiana, for instance, maybe serve Abita beer of even serve something regional to that part of the world, like boudin,” he suggested.

Regardless of what you come with, Blohme recommends you relax and have fun. And for goodness sake, spread the work around among your guests. “If somebody offers to help, by all means take them up on it,” he said.

He will touch on these and lots of other cooking and entertaining tips at the Thursday event. And no matter what else may happen, Blohme promises his guests will have fun. “This is going to be a blast; I can’t wait,” he said.

Update: This story has been edited to remove incorrect and
offensive assumptions about women and football. We apologize for the error in
judgment.